Administration
Sachiko Isihara, Executive Director
Sachiko Isihara has served as the Executive Director of Suzuki School of Newton for over 20 years. She led SSN's three-year capital campaign to purchase and rehabilitate the historic Staples-Craft-Wiswall farmstead as SSN's permanent home in the heart of Waban.
Sachiko is a pianist by training, earning performance degrees from both the Juilliard School in New York and New England Conservatory in Boston. She is a graduate of the European Suzuki Association teacher training earning all five levels within three years, and became a Suzuki Association of the Americas Teacher Trainer in 2008.
Recently selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as one of their Commonwealth Heroines of 2020, she was recognized for her leadership and volunteerism for the betterment of her community. In 2018 and 2019, Sachiko received the Steinway Top Teacher award, and in 2018 also received the Milestone Award from the National Guild for Community Arts Education.
Sachiko is a founding member of the Newton Cultural Alliance, and was appointed by Mayor Fuller to be part of the committee for Community Design for Arts and Culture who developed the Create Newton cultural plan. Sachiko was recently elected to the Waban Improvement Society Board and looks forward to participating in enhancing Waban.
Eytan Wurman, Director of Operations
A change maker, educator, and advocate, Eytan Wurman is committed to stewarding the evolution of classical music. Eytan is a progressive leader in public schools in the greater Boston area and singer with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Boston Pops, and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Partnering with teams of teachers, administrators, and exceptional students, Eytan creates immersive environments where young musicians of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds can fall in love with classical music and see themselves as bold innovators for a rich and exciting future. As a result of his efforts, the groups Eytan works with see enormous increases in enrollment for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students. At the same time Eytan revels in sharing the beauty and joy of canonical masterworks through his performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops as a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
Eytan Wurman holds a Master of Music Education from Gordon College as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies, a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership and Policy from Boston University.
A lover of all things historical, Eytan is an active member of the United States Court Tennis Association and the Boston Tennis and Racquet Club. A lover of all things innovative, Eytan is an active member of The 'Quin House in Boston. Eytan is currently the Director of Operations for the Suzuki School of Newton in Massachusetts. He serves on the boards of directors for Convergence Ensemble and Blue Heron Renaissance Ensemble.
Eytan and his family live in Sudbury.
Patty Drukker, Preschool Director
Patty Drukker brings more than four decades of experience in early education to her leadership role at the Suzuki Preschool of Newton. She was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Curry College, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Recreational Leadership from Mass Bay Community College. She also holds multiple certifications from the Massachusetts Department of Early Childhood and Care (LT-PS, LT I/T, Director I & II). Ms. Drukker joined Suzuki Newton in June 2024.
“While my career has been focused in the Boston area, my roots are in Newton. I was born and raised here, and it’s where I call home. I also come with a love of music, and enjoy popping into classrooms to sing and play my guitar for our students. I’m excited to be joining the Suzuki community and I look forward to getting to know our students and families in the coming months!”
Nicholas Ford, Registrar
In addition to enhancing the Suzuki School of Newton experience as our registrar, Nicholas Ford is a vocalist, composer, writer, and performer throughout the Boston area. Nicholas hails from Mississippi and studied composition and voice at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Mississippi College.
Nicholas’s compositions have been performed by the Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, members of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and students at the Boston Conservatory, Berklee, and Mississippi School of the Arts, and he especially enjoys performing his own music. He has recently joined our Musicianship faculty as well as helped to start our Suzuki Voice program at the Suzuki School of Newton having recently completed his Unit 1 Suzuki Voice training through the Suzuki Association of the Americas with Teacher-Trainer Mary Hofer.
Barrie Wheeler, President
Mark Bauer, Vice President
David Gaylin, Treasurer
Christina Daly, Clerk
Anastasia Canty
Kasey Calebaugh, Faculty Rep
Martha Fishman, Past President
Board of Directors 2024-2025
Anitha Gopalan, Past President
Kathleen Kouril Grieser
Karen Lourence
Chaya Murthy
Jane Starkman
David Starmer
Barry Ticho
Wei Tong, Compliance Officer
Sachiko Isihara, Ex-Officio
Patty Drukker, Ex-Officio